Three weeks into the season, the Buffalo Bills’ record book is already getting a little crowded.
Josh Allen keeps running his way past some of the biggest names in NFL history. Greg Rousseau has apparently decided two sacks per game is a perfectly reasonable pace. And James Cook took one look at the absurd number we gave him in last week’s Superhuman chapter and knocked a rather large chunk off it anyway.
Now the New England Patriots are coming to Orchard Park, and the numbers are starting to get interesting.
Some records need only a nudge. Others require another afternoon of doing something that really shouldn’t have become routine.
Let’s open the book and get started. Grab the pencil pouch — we’ll need a pencil, an eraser, and, if things go according to plan, plenty of permanent ink.
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Chapter 1: Sure Things
• Dawson Knox receptions: Knox caught one pass against Los Angeles, bringing his career total to 233 and pulling him even with Cole Beasley on Buffalo’s all-time receptions list.
One catch Sunday gives Knox 234 and moves him past Beasley into 15th place all by himself. Considering Knox has caught at least one pass in every game this season, we’re comfortable putting this one in permanent ink territory.
Of course, we were comfortable with Shakir here last week, too, and immediately blamed ourselves for whatever happened next. Apparently, Sure Things comes with some responsibility.
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Chapter 2: A Good Bet
• Josh Allen rushing touchdowns: Allen ran for two more touchdowns against the Chargers, bringing his career total to 85 and pulling him even with former Bill Marshawn Lynch for 17th on the NFL’s all-time list.
One rushing touchdown against New England does quite a bit of housekeeping. No. 86 moves Allen past Beast Mode, ties Priest Holmes for 16th in NFL history, and gives Allen the 88th touchdown he has scored as a Bill, breaking the franchise record he currently shares with Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas.
Of course, Allen could make a mess of our carefully organized record book by catching a touchdown instead. That would still break the Bills’ franchise touchdown record, while leaving Lynch and Holmes exactly where they are. And, considering Allen already has four career receiving touchdowns, we probably shouldn’t give him any ideas.
One trip to the end zone. Three changes to two different record books — assuming Allen gets there the conventional quarterback-who-doesn’t-play-conventionally way.
We probably should have grabbed more permanent ink.
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Chapter 3: Not Impossible
Apparently, we have a theme.
• Josh Allen rushing touchdowns: Allen has rushed for two touchdowns in each of Buffalo’s first three games, becoming just the fourth player in NFL history to open a season with multiple rushing touchdowns in three straight games.
Two more against New England would extend that streak to four. It would also bring Allen to 87 career rushing touchdowns, moving him past both Marshawn Lynch and Priest Holmes on the NFL’s all-time list. And, yes, it would make everything we just wrote in Chapter 2 permanent-ink official.
• Greg Rousseau sacks: Rousseau has been working in twos, too. He has exactly two sacks in each of the Bills’ first three games, giving him six on the season — the most ever by a Buffalo player through three games. He’s also just the third NFL player to begin a season with at least two sacks in each of his first three games.
And apparently we aren’t the only ones who noticed. Rousseau was just named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for September.
So what are we asking for Sunday?
Two rushing touchdowns from Allen. Two sacks from the newly minted AFC Defensive Player of the Month.
Apparently, Not Impossible now means just keep doing the ridiculous thing you’ve done every single week.
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Chapter 4: Superhuman
• James Cook rushing yards: Look who refuses to leave.
Last week, Cook needed 363 yards to catch Josh Allen for fourth place on the Bills’ all-time rushing list. We pointed out that would require him to break Adrian Peterson’s NFL single-game record by 67 yards.
Cook responded by running for 154 yards against the Chargers while Allen added 22. So, fine. We’ll do the math again.
Allen now sits at 4,835 career rushing yards, with Cook at 4,605. That leaves 230 yards between them, meaning Cook needs to outgain his quarterback by 231 yards Sunday to take over fourth place.
Is that still Superhuman? Absolutely.
Is it considerably less Superhuman than it was seven days ago? Also yes.
Apparently, Cook has decided this chapter is less a category and more a weekly challenge.
Welcome back, Chef.
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We’ve sharpened the pencils, found the eraser, and uncapped the permanent ink. Now we wait to see which one we’ll need most on Sunday.
Somewhere between one Dawson Knox catch and James Cook casually outrushing his quarterback by 231 yards, there should be something worth adding to the record book.
